The Lesser Items
by WrittenInSilence
Summary: You don't understand do you, mortal? I am the darkness that you will never excape from, I was created from the wrongs of man. I am you judge, jury, and executioner. You will never excape me and these Items are now mine. Apocalypse is here.'


Well, here is my first major cross-over. This will mainly focus on the YGO gang but other 'worlds'' characters will come into play. Now, I really would like reviews on this story and ideas would be helpful. I mean, I have practically 1000 items to come up with and multiple worlds to visit.

Ideas will be gladly appreciated, constructive criticism even more. Now, I hope you enjoy the story!

**PROLOGUE**

"We're here," Joey grumbled, "Now whatcha call us for? It's like," Joey checked his watch, "three in the morning!" he exclaimed loudly. Yugi, who was standing beside him, silently agreed as he stifled a large yawn.

"Yeah, Professor," he said blearily, addressing Arthur Hawkins, "Isn't it kinda early? Can't it wait till later?" Yugi rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly. Once he was sure that he wouldn't fall asleep in the next couple of minutes, he looked up to Arthur Hawkins' anxious face.

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm terribly sorry but this is very important," he said quickly, putting extra emphasis on the 'very'. Taking out a few sheets of paper, he put them on the table in front of Yugi Motou, Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Seto Kaiba, Tea Gardner, Ryou Bakura, Marik Ishtar, and Rebecca Hawkins. "This can't wait."

"He is right. This could affect the fate of the world," a deep voice came from the group's left. Startled, everyone spun around to face none other than the Guardian of the Millennium Items, Shadi. After they saw who it was, they visibly relaxed and turned their attention back to Professor Hawkins.

"Grandpa, what's this about?" Rebecca asked. She was dressed in her usual outfit, even at this ungodly hour. Her glasses were slightly askew and her hand had ink stains on it. Yugi suspected that she had been doing her homework. Even a genius like Rebecca struggled with college work, especially if her body wasn't used to it.

In response to Rebecca's question, Professor Hawkins merely flipped one of the papers over. It was a photograph of a strange tablet. It looked like the Tablet of the Nameless Pharaoh but this didn't have any pictures on it. Just writing. Their interest piqued, Yami and Bakura both emerged from their respective items. Everyone at the table felt a noticeable shiver as both spirits joined them.

"Can you read this, Yami?" Yugi asked his other half gently. Yami bent over to examine the photograph. Bakura felt the need to attempt to push him over but failed as Yami deftly stepped to the side. After a few seconds of scrutiny, Yami stood back up and turned to Yugi.

"I think I recognize it…but I can't decipher it. I think it's written in a secret code…" Yami trailed off. Yugi glanced up at Yami in surprise. "I think it was written by the High Priests. I haven't fully learned their hieroglyphs so I can only read a little of it."

"Well what do you know?" Yugi pressed. Yami looked at it once again, speaking as he scrutinized the tiny hieroglyphs.

"Well, there's something about apocalypse, that's for certain…there's the words thousand…corrupt…Shadow Demons…possession…and Destined Ones," Yami finished. He turned to Yugi. "I think you might want to tell the others." Yugi nodded.

"Guys, Yami says he understands a little of the writing on the tablet," Yugi spoke up. The others turned to him. He squirmed a little at all of their stares; they looked very nervous and expectant. Apparently, they had been discussing something important while he was speaking with Yami.

"Well?" cajoled Tristan. "Spit it out, Yugi." Yugi took a deep breath as he tried to recall what Yami had told him earlier.

"Well, there's something about apocalypse. There's also Shadow Demons, thousand, Destined Ones…I think maybe corruption, and possession…" Yugi paused for a while. "Yeah, I think that's it."

"Hm…I think this has to do with the other Items…Yes, that is the only explanation," Shadi said. All eyes were now focused on him. He said nothing but merely stared at an empty spot on the wall, as if watching a scene which only he could see. Everyone began to get impatient, especially Bakura and Joey. Then, something that Shadi said registered in Tea's brain.

"What do you mean, other Items?" she asked. Shadi turned to her and seemed to stare right through her. He turned his head away to Professor Hawkins, who had a contemplating look on his face, for a while. Then, he looked back to the group, more specifically at Yugi, Kaiba, and Ryou.

"I must leave now." He nodded his head to Professor Hawkins. "I trust you can explain it to them." With that, Shadi left the group, disappearing through the wall. The others stared after him for a few seconds before looking back to the photograph on the table.

"Professor?" Yugi asked uncertainly. Professor Hawkins sighed as he brushed a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes for a few moments, as if to collect himself, and then, looked back up at Yugi.

"Do any of you know why they are called the Millennium Items?" Professor Hawkins asked tiredly. Everyone looked confused, apparently nobody wondered about the origins of the names. At the befuddled looks he was getting, Professor Hawkins put his head in his hands.

"The Millennium Items were named so because there was supposed to be one for every three years that the Pharaoh would lay dormant." He held up a hand to silence the questions he knew would follow. "Yes, the psychics and seers during that time knew that you would assemble the puzzle 3000 years later. Anyway, the Items you know now are only the Greater Items. That means that they have a secondary ability that allows the user to summon the Shadow Realm. However, there are more than seven Millennium Items. Far more than seven.

"There are precisely 993 other Lesser Items. They also have their own abilities but none of them can summon the Shadows. They are only mentioned once in passing in that," he gestured to the photograph, "tablet, yet they play an important part in the story of the Nameless Pharaoh. If they are not recovered, their owners will be possessed by Shadow Demons who can and will tear apart the fabric of reality. In short, they will destroy the entire Universe and uncreate everything imaginable. The only way to stop that is to return them to their rightful owners." Finishing his little speech, Professor Hawkins turned to Yugi, Kaiba, and Ryou.

"So, this is basically a 'save the world' thing again, right?" Marik asked. Wearily, Professor Hawkins nodded. He massaged his temples as if fending off a large headache. Then, he looked up at everyone.

"I'm afraid so." At that moment, Yami appeared before Yugi once more.

"Yami…are you alright?" Yugi questioned worriedly. Yami brooded silently for a moment before glancing up his host, seemingly feeling better than before. However, Yugi could see through his act. "Please Yami, be honest with me," he pleaded. Sighing, Yami gave in.

"I'm not sure what to do now. To be honest, I'm already satisfied with my life now and I don't want to be thrown back into the saving the world business again. On the other hand, I feel responsible for the creation of these other Items, for some reason. To make it short, I can't decide whether I want to stay here like this or go off and try to 'save the world' again." Startled, Yugi sat thinking for a while.

"Yami, I know I can't choose for you but I want you to know this." Yami raised his head in curiosity. "Whatever you choose, I'm going to be right behind you. And all the others too," Yugi said, turning to the group. "We're friends, after all." Silent for a while, Yami contemplated his words. Then, he smiled.

"Yes…I know that. I've known for a long time already. Thank you Yugi." Chuckling, Yami retreated back into the puzzle. Yugi glanced back up and saw that everyone was staring at him.

"I'll go," he said simply. Everyone stared blankly. Yugi let out a small laugh and joked, "What? You can't expect me to let somebody else save the world. That's my job!" That granted Yugi with a few laughs from around the room. Then, Joey stood up.

"If Yug's going, then I'm coming too! I ain't leaving my best pal to go off all on his lonesome!!" Joey announced, slapping Yugi on the back. Another round of laughter from the group. "Besides, I'm gonna get him beat in a duel someday!" There was a cough that sounded suspiciously like, "like hell you are" from Kaiba's general direction.

"If the mutt wants to defeat Yugi, then I'm going to do it first," Seto Kaiba muttered, fingering the Millennium Rod he acquired from Marik. "I'm not losing to the dog." Joey glared at him but the effect was lost as Kaiba was glancing suspiciously at Professor Hawkins.

"I'll go as well," Ryou said, surprising everyone. "If this concerns the Millennium Items, then I think that Bakura and I should be involved too. Besides," Ryou looked sheepish as he said the next part, "he won't stop bothering me until I say yes." There were a few chuckles.

"Count me in!" Marik said enthusiastically. There was a chorus of, 'Me too's' from Rebecca and Tristan. Professor Hawkins sighed once more as he glanced at them, more specifically, Marik, Joey, Rebecca, and Tristan. Rebecca noticed his stares and gave him a questioning look.

"What's wrong, Grandpa?" she asked. Professor Hawkins took a deep breath as if he had to give unwanted news. He glanced at the four he mentioned with a worn out, maybe pleading, look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry to say that you four," he acknowledged the four he glanced at, "cannot go with them." He held up his hand before any profanities or outbursts started. "Let me explain. Only those who are in possession of a Millennium Item may travel to receive the Lesser Items." He looked up to see their various reactions. Marik's shoulders dropped in disappointment, Joey and Tristan both sighed and dropped their heads, and Rebecca merely stared longingly at Yugi. "I'm sorry."

Rebecca looked up at her grandfather. "It's okay Grandpa," she said softly. She looked at the three who were capable of going, Yugi in particular. Then, without warning, she lunged at him and held him around the waist. "Just promise me that you'll all be safe, okay?" she asked pleadingly. Yugi looked down at her in surprise. Then, he cracked a lopsided smile.

"Yeah, I promise," he said. Rebecca nodded and sniffled, wiping away her tears. Returning to her seat, she looked back at Professor Hawkins. "When are we leaving?" Yugi asked. Kaiba and Bakura both looked up at Professor Hawkins, both asking the same question with their eyes.

"I'm sorry to say but you'll have to leave right away. We can't afford to waste any time with this matter on our hands." All three of them nodded understandingly. "But, I can provide you with the locations of the Items. I'm sure that I can track down the energy signals of the items but only when the first few Items are collected. I want you three to keep in contact with us."

"Right…" Kaiba muttered. "How are we supposed to do that?" In response, Professor Hawkins handed all three of them a mirror. They all looked at the mirrors quizzically before turning to the professor for an explanation.

"Those mirrors are enchanted. They can be used to contact me," he held up a mirror identical to the one he handed to the trio, "and each other through the Shadow Realm. The mirrors are now bonded to you all and cannot be lost or broken. Also," he paused to hand a pouch over to Yugi, "that pouch has an inter-diemnsional pocket to a small corner of the Shadow Realm. It can store any object in it. Keep the Items you find in there. Is that everything you need to ask?" The three mutely nodded. Professor Hawkins nodded himself and clapped his hands once.

"Well then, I can tell you where and what the first three Items are. They are the Millennium Orb, Millennium Mirror, and Millennium Sword. They are not the usual golden color though they will have the Millennium Symbol engraved on them somewhere."

"And where are they?" Ryou asked meekly. Professor Hawkins looked gravely at the trio who accepted the mission. They all stared back, though all were obviously unnerved by the seriousness of the situation. Professor Hawkins eventually lowered his eyes and took a paper from the stack that he brought with him. He put it on the table and let the three examine it.

There was a picture of large red gates with a pink sky and clouds behind it. A seemingly endless barren wasteland was below it with a river snaking down its expanse. If one looked closely, there were at least three people flying in the sky, on oars if that could be conceived.

Below that, there were the pictures of the Items. The Millennium Orb was black but majority of the surface was a bright, glowing green. Yugi could barely make out the Millennium Symbol on the orb. It listed the ability of the item as being able to suck the soul out of a person without damaging it in any way. Vaguely, Yugi wondered if Bakura (the spirit) had somehow absorbed the abilities of the Millennium Orb.

Then, there was the Millennium Mirror. It was small and round, looking like it would fit in the palm of a person's hand. It had a braided string of rope coming out of the top of it. The mirror didn't have the Symbol visible on it so Yugi assumed that it was engraved on the back. The ability of the mirror was to grant the wielder's heart's desire during a full moon.

The last one was the Millennium Sword. It looked like a normal sword except for the handle. It looked like it was composed of multiple bulbs and the bulbs were a dull brownish color. The paper said that the Millennium Sword could turn the people it attacked into demonic creatures, and that the only antidote was located in the Sword itself.

"Well, now you know what the Items can do and what they look like. And now, I'll tell you where they are," Professor Hawkins announced. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation. "It's located in the Realm of the Dead, also known as the Spirit World." He made eye contact with the three Item Holders. "The first three Items are in Reikai."

-

So, how was that prologue? Should I continue this story? Should I put pairings in? I'm not too good with romance but if all of you who read the story want romance, I'll gladly put it in. Though, I'm sorry that I cannot put the HikarixYami pairings in. I do enjoy reading them but I cannot write them as anything more than extremely close friends. Again, I apologize.

Oh, and about OCs. Most of the OCs that I will include are villains whose fates will ultimately be to die, be tortured, or disappear and will never be heard from again. For the most part, I will only write about the characters already in the anime/book. So, please review and share your opinion. Oh, and I might be accepting characters from the people who review. However, I'm sorry if I make the characters our as twisted villains hell-bent on seeking power. Just leave a review with the details of your character. I must warn you that I can only accept a few characters as most of the villains are already planned out in my mind.


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